MEDICARE: Action Needed to Remove Social Security Numbers from Medicare Cards
Abstract
More than 48 million Medicare cards display an SSN as part of the health insurance claim number (HICN). The HICN plays an essential role in the administration of the Medicare program and is used by CMS to interact with beneficiaries and providers, and by other agencies that play a role in determining an individuals eligibility for Medicare.3 However, thieves can steal the information from Medicare cards to commit various acts of identity theft, such as opening fraudulent bank or credit card accounts or receiving medical services in a beneficiary's name. In 2010, 7 percent of households in the United States, or about 8.6 million households, had at least one member age 12 or older who experienced identity theft, according to U.S. Department of Justice figures. The estimated financial cost of identity theft during that year was approximately $13.3 billion.4 Theft of this information can also result from a data breach the unauthorized disclosure of a beneficiary's personally identifiable information.5
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- AD1179922
Entities
People
- Daniel Bertoni
- Kathleen M. King
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office